Drag show in small Restigouche community cancelled after threats of violence

Drag performers and municipal leaders in a small community in northern New Brunswick are dismayed after threats of violence forced the cancellation of a planned performance at the Balmoral Community Centre.

It was a difficult decision, but municipal council felt that it was in everyone's best interest, said Mario Pelletier, mayor of Bois-Joli, a community formed during last year's municipal amalgamations.

Council and the organizing group Restigouche Pride consulted with the RCMP and made the decision jointly after getting threats by phone and online messages, said Pelletier. 

Some people threatened acts of violence toward people at the show, while other threats were directed personally at Pelletier and his home.

"It's terrible. In 2023, we're not supposed to get threats like that," he said. "For a mayor like me or every mayor across New Brunswick, it's hard to do municipal politics right now."

Bois-Joli is a small, inclusive community, said the mayor, and he's not sure who made the threats, but the risk was deemed too high.

More public education is needed about drag performers, said Pelletier.

They'll revisit the possibility of a show again in a few months, he said.

"People have to calm down."

Josh Vautour is one of the people who were supposed to perform in the show. He goes by the stage name Equinknox.

Vautour said he didn't receive any threats personally but was upset to hear others had and was disappointed the show had to be cancelled.

"We felt like we were letting our community down," he said.

However, he thinks calling off the show was the right decision.

"Our number one priority is the performers' safety and the public's safety," said Vautour.

In three years of doing drag shows, this is the first time he's been involved in a show that had to be cancelled for something like this.

The threat of violence is a concern to him, but show organizers generally take security precautions, he said. They choose safe venues and hire security staff.

"We're not done fighting for what we do — the art of drag," he said.

The Balmoral show was supposed to include six or seven performers and be open to a 16-and-over audience.

Vautour suspects part of the backlash is because of misconceptions.

We felt like we were letting our community down.- Josh Vautour, drag performer

"It's not like in the past, when it was underground, adult-only events. We cater to the audience that we have."

A 19-plus show is not going to be the same as one at a family-friendly brunch, he said.

When he produces shows in the Moncton area, he chooses performers to suit the audience, as well. Each has a unique persona and some are better suited to younger audiences than others, he said.

"My drag style is I always find a song that has meaning and value to it that I can share. I always choose songs that are either about being proud, loving yourself, accepting who you are."

Vautour has loved the stage all his life and performed as a singer when he was younger.

As a drag queen, he tries to create a bond with the audience and make them laugh.

"The art of drag is a way for people to express themselves," he said. "It's like any other performing art."